University of North Carolina – Charlotte has been given the speech code rating Yellow. Yellow light colleges and universities are those institutions with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application. Read more here.

FIRE teamed up with the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy to release the Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System. The Report notes that UNC System’s many speech codes and illiberal restrictions on religious groups would likely not survive a legal challenge. It also reveals that “13 out of the 16 schools in the UNC System have at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.”

This Policy prohibits the face-to-face use of “fighting words” by a student, faculty member, or staff member to harass any person or persons on the University campus or other property under University control. “Fighting words” are those personally abusive epithets which, when directly addressed to any ordinary person are, in the context used and as a matter of common knowledge, inherently likely to provoke an immediate and violent reaction, whether or not they actually do so. Such expressions include, but are not limited to, those terms or gestures widely recognized to be derogatory references to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, and other personal characteristics.

Respect the privacy and personal rights of others by ensuring that use of University computing and electronic communication resources does not constitute invasion of privacy, harassment, defamation, threats, intimidation, unwarranted annoyance or embarrassment, or discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion, or sexual orientation.

Sexual harassment of students is a form of prohibited sex discrimination. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature by a University employee, by another student, or by a third party, constitutes sexual harassment if such conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to limit the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from an education program or activity, or create a hostile or abusive educational environment.

The following conduct, or an attempt to engage in the following conduct, is subject to disciplinary action … inflicting severe mental or emotional distress upon a person through a course of conduct involving repeated harassment, intimidation, abuse, or disparagement.

Sexual Harassment means unwelcome conduct, based on sex or on gender stereotypes, which is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it unreasonably interferes with a person’s University employment, academic performance or participation in University programs or activities and creates a working, learning, program or activity environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile or offensive.

by Jane Stancill Universities love to tout college rankings, but here’s a top-ten list that two North Carolina campuses won’t like. A group that advocates for basic liberties in higher education has picked two UNC-system campuses for its 2013 “10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech.” The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, put Appalachian State University and UNC-Chapel Hill on its list of campuses that ran afoul of speech freedoms last year. The advocacy group cited the two universities for specific cases that made headlines. At Appalachian State, trustees denied an appeal of a sociology professor, Jammie Price, […]

A report published recently by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) criticized the UNC system, including the North Carolina School of the Arts, of violating the right to free speech guaranteed in the first amendment. In the report dated January 10, 2006, FIRE called the UNC system “…one of the most likely places to find rules and regulations that restrict expression or dictate matters of conscience….” The report, entitled The State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System, identifies policies stated in the UNC Board of Governors handbook, as well as in 13 of […]

RALEIGH – Can niceness be codified? Can you actually make a policy requiring politeness and only politeness? Apparently a number of colleges and universities across the nation, including some in North Carolina, think you can. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, an organization monitoring First Amendment practices on college campuses throughout the nation, believes that a number of the state’s public universities go overboard in trying to mandate niceness. In fact, a report that FIRE recently issued says that policies at many schools in the University of North Carolina system are overbroad and likely unconstitutional. “Disproportionately, we are finding […]

Dear George: First of all, I want to thank you and the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy for sponsoring my recent speech at Wake Forest University. I also want to apologize for wasting the students’ time by giving them some advice they really didn’t need. Please allow me to explain. One of the points I emphasized in my speech was the need for College Republican groups to form coalitions with other political groups – groups that do not necessarily share their political views – to combat First Amendment abuses at colleges and universities in North Carolina. I didn’t know […]

News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) The First Amendment creates a free speech and assembly zone from one end of the United States to the other. Except at UNCG. University rules permit outdoor assemblies without prior approval only in two areas on campus. Even then, administrators must be given 48 hours’ notice. Fortunately, that policy is under review — just in time to prevent a legal challenge. Two students, members of College Libertarians, led a peaceful protest in front of Jackson Library in November and were charged with code-of-conduct violations. The proposed disciplinary actions against seniors Allison Jaynes and Robert Sinnott […]

Two UNC-Greensboro students recently charged with violating the university’s free speech policy are no longer in jeopardy of facing legal action. Administrators reprimanded Allison Jaynes and Robert Sinnott on Nov. 16 during their protest of the university’s free speech zones. Officials asked the students to move their demonstration to one of the two free speech zones on campus. The students refused, citing the First Amendment. UNC-G’s free speech zones were challenged again in December with the release of a report by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Robert Shibley, FIRE’s program manager, said the group has successfully challenged restrictions […]

By Mike Adams at Townhall.com It probably comes as no surprise that the third university in my “colleges to avoid” series is located in North Carolina. Recently, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy published a report criticizing the UNC system for its blatant in intolerance of free expression. Of the sixteen campuses in the system, only one university – Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) – was not criticized in the report. While students in North Carolina may want to consider attending ECSU, they would do well to avoid The University […]

By Jody Brown at Agape Press A new report finds that 13 out of 16 institutions in the University of North Carolina system have at least one policy that “clearly and substantially” restricts free speech. The report — released by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the Pope Center for Higher Education — accuses UNC of being especially hostile to Christian students and their religious liberty. The report is entitled “Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System” — and FIRE’s Greg Lukianoff says what is revealed in the report […]

The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Two groups that often criticize the University of North Carolina system said in a report last week that most UNC campuses have policies that restrict free speech and violate the Constitution. Here are excerpts from what the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education said about Triangle campuses. N.C. CENTRAL UNIVERSITY NCCU’s Guide to On-Campus Living provides that “[s]tatements of intolerance and/or harassment due to race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, or sexual preference may be subject to disciplinary action.” This policy is unconstitutionally overbroad because it prohibits […]

By Ray Watters at Myrtle Beach Online GREENVILLE, N.C.—One of my funnier stories about college was how I got yelled at by three women the first week of my freshman year. It works better when you see me acting it out, so I’ll just cut to the punch line. My great offense was holding a door open for each of them. In the South. Horrors. It was a textbook example of what everyone had warned me about going to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Of course, all their warnings weren’t true. The seven people sharing my first dormitory suite […]

[To view the television broadcast of this story, please visit WWAYtv3.com.] WILMINGTON — North Carolina’s University system is coming under fire tonight for violating the constitution. A new study says the state system has serious first amendment violations at each state school. The report’s called [sic] Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE, and that’s just what the author is looking to create. The report was done by conservative group, the Pope Center for Higher Education. The group comes down hardest on the larger state schools but found plenty of fault right here in Wilmington. They say UNCW’s biggest […]

by Jane Stancill in The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Most University of North Carolina campuses have policies that restrict free speech and violate the Constitution, according to a report Tuesday by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.The analysis was commissioned by the Pope Center, a Raleigh organization that often champions conservative causes, and was conducted by FIRE, a national group that takes on free speech issues on both ends of the political spectrum.The report suggested UNC campuses are vulnerable to lawsuits unless they change their so-called “speech codes.””Hopefully they can bring themselves […]

By Erin France at The Daily Tarheel Some UNC-system school policies of free speech and nondiscrimination violate the U.S. Constitution, according to a report released Tuesday. The report, created by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, detailed First Amendment violations, including violations in UNC-Chapel Hill’s network acceptable use policy, and cites two examples of religious discrimination against student organizations. In 2002, the University asked the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to remove from its charter a provision requiring members to be Christians. And in 2003, the UNC-CH refused to recognize Christian fraternity Alpha […]

A report released Tuesday says some campuses in the University of North Carolina system impose unconstitutional limits on freedom of speech. The report cited examples such as Fayetteville State University’s ban on vulgar language and UNC Greensboro’s prohibition on “disrespect for persons.” The report suggested the UNC system pay more attention to First Amendment freedoms. It was issued by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) RALEIGH – Some public universities in North Carolina impose unconstitutional limits on freedom of speech, a report issued Tuesday said. The Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education released the report. “It’s a public school system,” Greg Lukianoff, interim president of the foundation, said at a news conference in the Legislative Building. “It’s bound by the First Amendment.” One example cited in the report was a prohibition by Fayetteville State University on vulgar language. Another example was the prohibition on “disrespect for persons” at UNCG. Later this month, […]

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — Some public universities in North Carolina system impose unconstitutional limits on freedom of speech, according to a report issued Tuesday. The report was issued by the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. “It’s a public school system,” Greg Lukianoff, interim president of the foundation, said at a news conference in the Legislative Building. “It’s bound by the First Amendment.” One example cited in the report was a prohibition by Fayetteville State University on vulgar language. Another example was the prohibition on “disrespect for persons” at the University […]

A mock campus bake sale by students who oppose affirmative action is flaming racial tension and debate about free speech at UNC Charlotte. The College Republicans student group is protesting at 10 a.m. Tuesday by pretending to sell cookies and brownies priced according to the buyer’s race or gender. Members say the sale will illustrate how affirmative action is unfair. Minority student groups, angered that the university has refused to stop the event, have vowed to stage a demonstration. Similar bake sales on campuses around the country have sparked heated confrontations between white and black students. And members of the […]

Students, faculty, and FIRE supporters in the Charlotte area are invited to hear FIRE Senior Vice President Robert Shibley speak at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. in Fretwell Building, Room 113. Robert will be speaking about free speech on a panel with Alex Johnson from Generation Opportunity and Jason Rines from the UNCC Department of Philosophy’s Masters Program. When: Thursday, September 25, 7:00 p.m. Where: Fretwell Building 113, UNCC Who: Robert Shibley, FIRE’s Senior Vice President, sponsored by Young Americans for Liberty at UNCC All are encouraged to attend! To invite a FIRE speaker […]

RALEIGH, N.C., January 10, 2006—Today, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy released their Report on the State of the First Amendment in the University of North Carolina System. The Report explains precisely what the First Amendment obligations of the UNC System schools are—and shows that most of them are emphatically not meeting those obligations. “The revelations in our Report ought to outrage everyone in North Carolina,” said FIRE Interim President Greg Lukianoff. “The UNC System is disregarding the First Amendment at public expense, each and every day.” FIRE […]

A Joint Report of the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education Executive Summary If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us. —West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson’s […]

As a nonreligious political liberal who has spent much his career defending religious students and students under the thumb of censorship from the left, I am used to defending protests or expression that I do not agree with. In fact, as I have often quipped, “I almost feel like I am cheating when I defend points of view I agree with.” Whatever I may feel about protests like the affirmative action bake sales, however, I am far more offended by efforts by official power to squelch them. One of the reasons I find the attempts to stop these protests so […]

There few issues that cause more passionate debate on campus (and elsewhere) than affirmative action. While many campuses have stifled that debate by, for example, censoring conservative protests, UNC Charlotte did the right thing—permitting both the affirmative action protest and a counter-protest by the program’s supporters. This boisterous exercise in free speech triggered an outstanding editorial (registration required) from the Charlotte Observer, entitled “When Ideas Clash.” Money quotes: Whatever you think of affirmative action—or of the method being used to protest that policy—what just happened on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is what is supposed […]